Funny what you can discover when you’re playing with a new product. The Casio camera TSV on Monday was terrific – not only did it take some amazing 'airbrushed' shots. Take a look at my face with 'make-up mode’ and without in the pics below – if only life was that simple! Ha ha! But be prepared for a 'wrinkle alert' before you look at them – scary!

I did enjoy experimenting with the camera/camcorder functions – no wonder it’s won awards. It was also a perfect opportunity to get up close and personal with a couple of macro shots of things in the garden. Yes, plants, insects etc. But we didn’t expect what Lauren discovered down by the greenhouse – not a mouse, as we expected to be living in the hole in the ground – but a frog! Or was it a toad?

It came out to have a drink when she was doing some sprinkling – funny! And great clarity on the picture too. I mentioned it on air during the summer sale on Wednesday – fashion essentials hour I think – so here, as promised, is the clip.

Whilst in the garden, the pups caught our eye – they’d discovered a little puddle in the ground which was attracting some fascinating wildlife – their education is continuing! Here you can really see how their fur is starting to change to adult texture, with just a little lighter brown fluffy stuff left over the ears and top of the head – bless. It’s sooooooooo soft – just like a plush bear from Steiff. And they loved investigating the muddy water, typical!

Of course it’s been hectic of late what with all the puppy stuff, the watering routine, and the writing! (And working of course! But sometimes that’s like a rest from the toil!) Plus, we’ve been having an annual clear out – I’ll spare you the photograph!

Suffice it to say, the state of the utility room in the clip below is enough of a hint as to what the rest of the house looks like! In fact it was so bad this week, I even put a status update on my Facebook warning anyone coming over that they might need a gas mask! Thin clothes, fat clothes, good clothes, bad clothes, you know what it can be like. Still, we’re getting there… slowly.

There’s that moment when you get rid of old clothes, that ‘shall I, shan’t I?’ moment – they may be musty and ‘frousy’ (family word!) – but many that have made it this far have been kept for strong sentimental reasons so it’s difficult to part with them!

But I took a deep breath and thought of a great hint a few years ago – ‘try a trial separation’ – great idea! Instead of ditching them immediately, just pack things you’re not sure about into a secure bag and take them somewhere else – that way you can retrieve them if you have a change of mind, and parting won’t be such sad sweet sorrow. Then later it’ll be easier to get shot of them for good!

As part of the Grand Tidy Up, we’re doing up the spare room where my son Brad stays when he visits. So he came home to help a little (you need a man around when you’re lifting Ikea furniture upstairs!) and he was amazed at how much the pups have grown. Next week I’ll do a little update on them individually, but for now, here’s a little clip of the pogs (puppies and dogs!), playing with Brad and each other.

This week's Summer Sale

This week on air I’ve loved the Summer Sale, and also doing some afternoons for a change. Usually when you’re on lates and weekends it’s much quieter in the building and it was nice to see some familiar faces at their desks in office hours.

It was also nice to catch up with another old familiar face – Nigel Rhodes – a mate I went to drama classes with 20-blah years ago! He was in The Tomorrow People as a child, so was a bit of a star at the time, to us plebs!

Great actor, but never pursued it as an adult. In fact, Adam behind the counter in the QVC café remarked that he looked a lot like Steve Tyler the rock star – and he does! So hi to Nigel Rhodes my old mate, if you’re watching. Hope the next few weeks go well and happy early birthday.

And I’d like to say hi to another person, whilst I’m at it, and that’s a lovely lady called Catherine Lewis, a regular customer, who asked us all to send a signed pic as she loves listening to us all since she can’t see us but we keep her company during the day. Hi Catherine! Thanks for being there! And if you’re in a similar situation, a big hug to you too!

Have a great week! I’m off work this weekend, got some friends coming over, and hopefully will finish the blooming tidying up! Lauren, we’ve got our work cut out!

Best wishesDebsx

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6 Comments

Good luck to you ladies for the big tidy up this weekend! Hope you enjoy your friends time and get to put your feet up a bit!! Loved the littel clip of the lovely Brad and pogs as you said! Enjoy your weekend off.
Susan
PS Left you another wee response on the previous blog

Hi Debs, I have to say you have the best blogs of all the presenters. We get such a lovely insight into your life and home and thank you for that. Being an animal lover I adore everything about the dogs and all their activities. I have 3 dogs and 9 cats and enjoy every moment of their company. We have just been fostering a 10 week old black and tan terrier and I forgot how much work puppies are but such joy. I really don’t know where you get the time to do everything. Please share the secret of your time management. I want to do such much in the day but always run out of energy by evening. Keep us informed. Good luck with the clearing out.

Hi Debs thanks for comments about diet chef we also have a toad in our garden (we have no pond) but living near Heathrow and beening surrounded by resovoirs guess he must have lost his way,speak soon XXXXX

Hi Debbie,
I don’t mean to be rude to the other presenters but your blog’s are so normal and interesting everyday lifestyle. I love the updates on the family, you, garden veggie ,the lovely dogs and all the goodies on QVC.
Best wishes
Janet

Janet – thank you so much! I enjoy writing so it’s fun to do for you all!
Pauline – how funny! No pond near us either so not sure where the toad comes from – I guess they have to live somewhere tho eh!
Martina – you have got your hands full! And as for time management – oh if only you knew what my house looked like! I guess that’s where I find the time! Hehe… You know what it’s like tho – easy to do the things you like doing, not so easy to do the rest!I’ll have to work on some way of ‘liking’ housework eh! At least once the tidy up is finished it’ll all be a bit better. Lauren’s room’s 90% done now, and we had a major sort out of the toiletries in the cabinets so the bathroom’s a bit better too! Waiting for next trip to Ikea to finish the utility room, but at least dogs don’t complain!
susan – lovely to hear from you too! My feet up time is usually reading or writing. I’m booked on another short writing course in Oxford at the end of September so I’m wading through a reading list too!
d
x

Hi Debbi!!
It´s so nice, that you are back after so many years!
Missed you…
It´s often been so funny in “the early days”, also with “good old Paul”…
(There was one show with him and Simon Butler, …,:))) )
You allways cheer up the day !
Greetings from germany, Elke!